TN 3 1923 Official

US 51 added to TN 3 1937 Official

About 1927 (bridge date), TN 3 was removed from Kerrville-Rosemark Rd into Kerrville; Old Tipton Rd/Merritt Rd/Meade Lake Rd to Atoka; Main St out of Atoka
In 1928, TN 3 was given a direct routing over the Obion River from Trimble to Obion. The original route used Lanes Ferry Rd out of Newbern; Millsfield Hwy/Cloverdale Rd to Elbridge; Obion Rd/current TN 183 to Obion.

TN 3 indirect from Newbern to Obion 1926 Official

TN 3 direct routing 1929 Official

About 1933 (bridge date), TN 3 was removed from Millington Rd through Frayser, Overton which no longer connects to Old Millington Rd through Woodstock to nearly Millington.
In 1935 (bridge date), TN 3 was removed from 2nd St/Whitney Ave north out of Memphis and moved to Chelsea Ave and current US 51 across the Wolf River.
It is unclear when TN 3 was removed from Fisher Rd and Jack Crutcher Rd at the Hatchie River (no crossing there now), but it was by 1938.
About 1938, TN 3 was placed on a newly constructed alignment from Henning to Ripley (along today's TN 209). The old road is mostly abandoned alignments except the disconnected Jefferson St alignments approaching Ripley, plus a bit of Highland and Main within Ripley.
In 1939 or 1940, TN 3 was rerouted in Memphis from about Graceland northward. It replaced TN 3A on Elvis Presley Blvd/Bellevue Blvd, then followed US 64-70 west on Union Ave back to 2nd St downtown. The old routing was removed from the state highway system. Today it is Old Hernando Rd below I-55/Brooks; Hernando Rd/abandoned between I-55 and I-240; Hernando Rd along east side of I-55 until a little past Person Ave, then Mississippi Ave and Butler Ave.

TN 3 original Memphis routing 1930 Official

TN 3 rerouted north out of Memphis 1937 Official

TN 3 replaces TN 3A 1940 Official

About 1960, TN 3 was removed from Main St into Troy; today's TN 184 from Troy to Union City

TN 3 original Troy to Union City route 1940 Official

TN 3 moved to modern alignments 1964 Official

About 1964, TN 3 was removed from today's TN 210 from Halls north through Fowlkes. TN 3 used TN 88 between the old and new alignments.
About 1965 (bridge date), TN 3 was removed from Old Highway 51 through Brighton.
In the mid 1960s, TN 3 was removed from today's TN 209 from Ripley to Gates; TN 88 Gates to current US 51. TN 3 was now using today's TN 208 between old and new alignments.
In response to the 1968 Federal Highway Act, Tennessee requested an interstate corridor along TN 3 from Memphis to S. Fulton. This was not approved.
Around 1970, TN 3 was placed onto the original Union City TN 3 bypass around the south and east. The old route through Union City was TN 21 and today's TN 214.
About 1973, TN 3 was removed from today's TN 209 from Henning to Ripley and today's TN 208.

TN 3 original Covington to Dyersburg route 1951 Official

TN 3 moved to modern alignment Halls-Dyersburg 1964 Official

TN 3 moved to modern alignment Ripley-Halls 1971 Official

TN 3 moved to modern alignment Covington-Ripley 1986 Official

About 1980, TN 3 was removed from today's TN 211 from northern Dyersburg to Trimble; Old State Hwy 3; now-abandoned causeway over the Obion River; 7th St in Obion; Today's TN 183 north to Troy.
Also about 1980, TN 3 was removed from today's TN 214 between Union City and South Fulton.
In 1983, TN 3 was placed on the bypass of Dyersburg (replacing TN 3 Byp). The old routing through Dyersburg became TN 211.
Also in 1983, TN 3 was placed on the bypass around the west and north of Union City, replacing TN 3 Byp. The old routing through Dyersburg became TN 184.

TN 3 original Union City to S Fulton route 1971 Official

TN 3 moved to modern alignment 1986 Official

Posting: TN 3 is completely unposted, except for a couple stray secondary postings north of downtown Memphis. TN 3 is primary everywhere except in downtown Memphis and the short piece between US 51 and the Kentucky line.
Secret US Route Overlay: US 51 I (11.4 mi)
US 51 II (121.5 mi)
US 45 (0.5 mi)
Comment: TN 3 is the main artery up the Tennessee side of the Mississippi River to Dyersburg, then an important corridor northeast of that. If I-69 ever gets fully built in Tennessee this will change all that.